


Dig the Claws In

by kijikun



Category: The Transformers (IDW Generation One)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Nightmares, Post - The Transformers: More Than Meets The Eye issue 47 (IDW), Spoilers, sorta - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-13
Updated: 2015-12-13
Packaged: 2018-05-06 11:02:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 511
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5414399
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kijikun/pseuds/kijikun
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tailgate has a terrible very real feeling nightmare, good thing Cyclonus is there to soothe his fears. Right? </p>
<p>(post issue 47 of mtmte)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Dig the Claws In

Tailgate came out of recharge with a jolt, trace of his dream - nightmare -- still licking at his brain chip. He shuddered, his fuel tank feeling like it was going to void. Sitting up only made it worse and he clamped his servos across his maskless intake. He hated voiding - it tore up the cheap metal around his intake and he hated bothering First Aid or Ratchet for repairs like that -- 

Repairs -- his nightmare came fully crashing back -- Megatron -- the Security Team -- Cyclonus had been -- and it had all been his fault -- why was he still even functioning? Primus --

"What is it, little one," Cyclonus asked, more gently than Tailgate could remember the other mech sounding. A clawed hand stroked down the line of his backstrut. "You are shaking."

Tailgate fans whirred as he tried to calm down. Right, just a nightmare. "Nightmare," he said after rebooting his vocalizer. 

"Tell me?" Cyclonus asked, the berth making a tiny sound as the larger mech sat up. In a nano-klik , strong arms were wound him, pulling him back against an undamaged feeling frame.

Cyclonus nuzzled his helm while he gathered words. "I fragged up," Tailgate said. "I let -- I act like a stupid Waste Disposal mech and it got you killed -- they shot you, Cyclonus. And you protected me and you said goodbye and I don't want goodbye. Not after we finally --"

"Shh," Cyclonus hushed him. "It was just a nightmare."

"It felt real," Tailgate protested, his vocalizer cracking. He swore he could smell melted metal, burning fuel --

Cyclonus coaxed him back into lying down, their arms wrapped around each other. "It was just a nightmare. It wasn't real."

"It felt real," Tailgate said again, severos moving across Cyclonus frame. He kept thinking he felt blistering hot holes in Cyclonus' armor only for them to be gone a nano-klik later. 

"But it wasn't. You trust me don't you, Tailgate?" Cyclonus rumbled.

"Yes," he didn't even have to process it. He trusted Cyclonus with his spark.But why was Cyclonus -- "Why are you wearing your sword to berth?"

Cyclonus pressed kisses across his visor. "Slip back into recharge, little one. We'll see each other then."

Tailgate wanted to protest. Something was wrong, something was very wrong but -- 

Everything had to be okay. Cyclonus wouldn't lie to him. Nightmares happened, if it still bugged him later he'd talk to Rung. That was the responsible thing, right?

Right.

Still something --

Then Cyclonus started to sing. It was something old -- something sad and Tailgate couldn't catch the meaning of all the words. Cyclonus stroked his frame all the while, and Tailgate despite himself felt himself drift. 

As he drifted fully into his recharge he thought he heard Cyclonus whisper, "Goodbye, little one," but that couldn't be right, it must have been goodnight.

Why would Cyclonus need to say goodbye?

.  
.  
.  
.  
.

_“Why does the mind do such things?_  
Turn on us, rend us, dig the claws in.  
If you get hungry enough, they say, you start eating your own heart.  
Maybe it's much the same.”   
― Margaret Atwood, _The Blind Assassin_

**Author's Note:**

> First fic in the TF IDW fandom, please let me know if I've messed up my metaknowledge and terminology. The temptation to make this into a longer fic is strong, but for now it is what it is.


End file.
